artichoke ragout with roasted potatoes

source: gluten-free girl, who got this from alice waters:

ingredients:
new potatoes
small artichokes (same quantity)
spring onions (several)
olive oil
parsley

directions: 

cut new potatoes, such as fingerlings or Bintjes, into chunks the size of a small thumb and boil in salty water until tender. Clean and quarter about the same quantity of very small artichokes. Soften several small spring onions in a saucepan for a minute in olive oil and butter over a high flame. Add the artichokes and a splash of water, season, cover, and stew over a low flame until the artichokes are tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover and add the potatoes, a light drizzle of fruity olive oil, and some chopped parsley. Continue cooking a few minutes longer, until the liquid has reduced to a silky emulsion that coats the vegetables.

warm butternut and chickpea salad with tahini dressing

source: recipe exchange group on facebook (started with grad school friends)
yield: 4 servings

for salad:
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

for tahini dressing:
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons VERY well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste

preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.

Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning. The sauce should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a little kick of lemon. You will probably need to add more water to thin it out.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro or parsley in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully, or you could serve the salad with the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.

spiced zucchini bread

recipe adapted from landon schoenefeld, haute dish and emailed from tasting table dc, september 2010

ingredients:

1 medium zucchini (about 12 ounces), shredded
1¼ teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, beaten
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used gluten-free flour)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander

directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. In a colander, toss the zucchini with the salt and place inside a larger bowl to drain.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until pale yellow. Whisk in the oil, orange juice, vanilla and orange zest. In another mixing bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, caraway seeds and coriander. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until blended. Place the drained zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, squeeze to remove excess moisture, then fold the zucchini into the batter.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Transfer to the oven and bake for 60 minutes or until the crust is deep-golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.